All Falls Down | Kanye West Lyrics, Meaning & Videos

All Falls Down
Kanye West Lyrics

Oh, when it all, it all falls down (uh)
And when it falls down, who you gon' call now?
I'm tellin' you all (c'mon, c'mon)
It all falls down
And when it falls down, oh, when it all (and when it all falls down)

Man, I promise, I'm so self-conscious
That's why you always see me with at least one of my watches
Rollies and Pashas done drove me crazy
I can't even pronounce nothin', pass that Ver-say-see
Then I spent four hundred bucks on this
Just to be like, "Nigga, you ain't up on this"
And I can't even go to the grocery store
Without some Ones that's clean and a shirt with a team
It seem we livin' the American Dream
But the people highest up got the lowest self-esteem
The prettiest people do the ugliest things
For the road to riches and diamond rings
We shine because they hate us, floss 'cause they degrade us
We tryna buy back our 40 acres
And for that paper, look how low we'll stoop
Even if you in a Benz, you still a nigga in a coupe

Oh, when it all (c'mon, c'mon)
It all falls down (and when it falls down, who you gon' call now?)
I'm tellin' you all (come on, come on)
It all falls down, oh, when it all (and when it all falls down)

I say, "Fuck the police," that's how I treat 'em
We buy our way out of jail, but we can't buy freedom
We'll buy a lot of clothes, but we don't really need 'em
Things we buy to cover up what's inside
'Cause they made us hate ourself and love they wealth
That's why shorty's hollerin', "Where the ballers at?"
Drug dealer buy Jordan, crackhead buy crack
And the white man get paid off of all of that
But I ain't even gon' act holier than thou
'Cause fuck it, I went to Jacob with twenty-five thou
Before I had a house and I'd do it again
'Cause I wanna be on 106 & Park, pushin' a Benz
I want to act ballerific like it's all terrific
I got a couple past-due bills, I won't get specific
I got a problem with spendin' before I get it
We all self-conscious, I'm just the first to admit it

Oh, when it all (yeah, c'mon, c'mon)
It all falls down (and when it falls down, who you gon' call now?)
I'm tellin' you all (c'mon, c'mon)
It all falls down (and when it falls down)
Oh, when it all (Southside, Southside)
It all falls down (we gon' set this party off right)
I'm tellin' you all (Westside, Westside)
It all falls down (we gon' set this party off right)
Oh, when it all (Chi-Town, Chi-Town)
It all falls down (We gon' show 'em how we get down)
I'm tellin' you all (Now, Syleena, you just like a safe belt)
It all falls down (you saved my life, c'mon)
Oh, when it all, it all falls down
I'm tellin' you all, it all falls down

I's can't keep workin' like this
This grave shift is like a slave ship

"All Falls Down" is one of Kanye West's most relatable tracks, dealing with fiscal irresponsibility, materialism, and the struggle to maintain one's image. The song appears on his debut album, The College Dropout, which was released in 2004. The song touches on a variety of topics, including the pressure to conform to societal norms, personal insecurities, and the superficiality of wealth and fame.

The first verse of the song focuses on a woman who is struggling academically and financially. She remains in school despite not being able to afford it because of the judgment she would face from her parents. She turns to hairdressing as a means of support, revealing the extent to which societal pressures can be overwhelming. The chorus of the song repeats "when it all falls down," suggesting that society's expectations and pressures will inevitably cause people to crash and burn.

In the second verse, Kanye West addresses his own insecurities and anxieties. He talks about his fixation with material possessions, specifically expensive watches and clothing. He reveals how his ego is tied up in his physical appearance and personal possessions. The final verse of the song explores the self-destructive behavior perpetuated by systemic oppression, where people turn to drugs and crime due to a lack of economic opportunities.

Oh, when it all (yeah)
When everything falls apart

It all falls down (this the real one, baby)
The reality of life can be harsh

I'm tellin' you all (uh)
Listen up

It all falls down (Chi-Town, stand up)
Life is tough in Chicago

Oh, when it all (Southside, Southside)
Representing Southside Chicago

It all falls down (we gon' set this party off right)
We need to face these issues head-on

I'm tellin' you all (Westside, Westside)
Listen up, we're still not immune

It all falls down, oh, when it all (we gon' set this party off right)
We need to address these things before it's too late

Man, I promise, she's so self-conscious
This girl lacks self-esteem

She has no idea what she doin' in college
This girl lacks direction

That major that she majored in don't make no money
Her degree won't lead to a financially stable future

But she won't drop out, her parents'll look at her funny
She's too afraid of disappointing her parents

Now, tell me that ain't insecurr
This situation is clearly insecure

The concept of school seems so securr
School doesn't seem like a sure thing anymore

Sophomore, three yurrs, ain't picked a carurr
She's still undecided after three years of college

She like, "Fuck it, I'll just stay down hurr and do hair"
She's giving up on college to do hair

'Cause that's enough money to buy her a few pairs
Hairdressing is enough to afford some luxuries

Of new Airs, 'cause her baby daddy don't really care
Her boyfriend doesn't care about her or their child

She's so precious with the peer pressure
She's deeply affected by social pressure

Couldn't afford a car, so she named her daughter Alexis
She couldn't afford a nice car, so she named her child something fancy

She had hair so long that it looked like weave
She wore hair extensions to appear more attractive

Then she cut it all off, now she look like Eve
She shaved her head and now looks like Eve

And she be dealin' with some issues that you can't believe
She's struggling with issues that are hard to imagine

Single black female addicted to retail, and well
She's addicted to shopping

And when it falls down, who you gon' call now?
Who will you turn to for help when things fall apart?

And when it falls down, oh, when it all (and when it all falls down)
When everything falls apart

That's why you always see me with at least one of my watches
I'm self-conscious, so I need to show off my success

Rollies and Pashas done drove me crazy
Expensive watches have made me obsessed

I can't even pronounce nothin', pass that Ver-say-see
I can't even pronounce Versace, but I still buy it

Then I spent four hundred bucks on this
I spent a lot on something I didn't need

Just to be like, "Nigga, you ain't up on this"
I want people to know I'm wealthy

Without some Ones that's clean and a shirt with a team
I can't even go to the grocery store without looking good

It seem we livin' the American Dream
We appear to be living a good life

But the people highest up got the lowest self-esteem
Those with the most power are often the most insecure

The prettiest people do the ugliest things
Good looks can hide ugly behaviour

For the road to riches and diamond rings
We'll do whatever it takes to be successful

We shine because they hate us, floss 'cause they degrade us
We act out of spite and insecurity

We tryna buy back our 40 acres
We're trying to reclaim what we've lost

And for that paper, look how low we'll stoop
Money makes us do things we wouldn't normally do

Even if you in a Benz, you still a nigga in a coupe
No matter how successful we are, we're still seen as second-class citizens

I say, "Fuck the police," that's how I treat 'em
I'm angry at the police and don't respect them

We buy our way out of jail, but we can't buy freedom
Money can't buy true freedom

We'll buy a lot of clothes, but we don't really need 'em
We buy things we don't need to feel better about ourselves

Things we buy to cover up what's inside
We use material things to mask our insecurities

'Cause they made us hate ourself and love they wealth
Society has taught us to hate ourselves and admire the wealthy

That's why shorty's hollerin', "Where the ballers at?"
Women are attracted to wealthy men

Drug dealer buy Jordan, crackhead buy crack
The worst off are often the most vulnerable to addiction

And the white man get paid off of all of that
The white man profits off of our weaknesses

But I ain't even gon' act holier than thou
I'm not going to pretend to be better than others

'Cause fuck it, I went to Jacob with twenty-five thou
I spent a lot of money on material things

Before I had a house and I'd do it again
I don't regret my past materialism

'Cause I wanna be on 106 & Park, pushin' a Benz
I want to be successful and show off my wealth

I want to act ballerific like it's all terrific
I want to act like everything is perfect

I got a couple past-due bills, I won't get specific
I have some overdue bills I don't want to talk about

I got a problem with spendin' before I get it
I have a problem with overspending

We all self-conscious, I'm just the first to admit it
We're all insecure, I'm just the first to say it

It all falls down (uh)
Everything can fall apart

c'mon, c'mon
Let's go

We gon' show 'em how we get down
We'll show them our way of life

Now, Syleena, you just like a safe belt
You keep me safe

you saved my life, c'mon
Thank you for helping me

I's can't keep workin' like this
I can't keep working this way

This grave shift is like a slave ship
Working overnight is like being a slave

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lauryn Hill, Kanye West

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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